Well-bucket sinker



(No Model.)

W. HOWZE.

WELL BUCKET SINKER.

Patented Apr. 26, 1892..

. I lg zpir I'Villa'am Howze UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE,

WVILLIAM HOWZE, OF CAIRO, GEORGIA.

WELL-BUCKET SINKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,576, dated April26, 1892. Application filed January 5, 1892- Serial No. 417,055. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I-IOWZE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cairo, in the county of Thomas and State of Georgia, haveinvented a new and useful Well-Bucket Sinker, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to well-bucket sinkers; and it has for its objectto provide a device adapted to be connected to and secured within anywell-bucket of ordinary construction and one which, while simple inconstruction, is especially efficient in its use to sink the top of thebucket beneath the water in the well immediately upon its reaching thesame.

It has for a further object to provide a sinker which will always holdthe bail approximately straight above the top of the bucket and keep thebail from dropping upon the side of the same, and also a device whichwill be capable of adjustment to any depth of bucket.

With these and many other objects in view, which will readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel construction, combination, and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying; drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view ofa well-bucket provided with a sinking attachment constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of thesame, taken through the sinking-attachment loop or ring. Fig. 3 is adetail in perspective of the sinker detached from the bucket. Fig. 4 isan enlarged detail sectional view of the coupling with the bail.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,A represents a well-bucket ofordinary construction and provided with the ordinary bail B, swingingover the top of the bucket and connected to the Windlass-rope O, bymeans of which the bucket is raised and lowered in and out of the well,as usual, A sinker D is designed to be located and secured within saidbucket and connected with the bail thereof, in order to dip the bucketbeneath the water and to hold the bail off therefrom immedi ately uponsaid bucket reaching the surface of the water within the well. The saidsinker D comprises the upper rod-section E, vertically adjustable in thelower tube-section F, within which said upper rod-section works and isadjustable therein to suit the various depths of bucket within which thesinker attachment is placed. The upper section E is forked, having theopposite diverging top-heavy arms G, which terminate in connecting ringsor loops H, which are adapted to engage ove the bail on each side of theloop thereof to which the hoisting-rope is connected.

Each of the rings or loops H is provided with the openings I, throughwhich the bail passes when the rings are engaged. thereover. Theopenings I terminate at opposite outer edges in the shouldered seats J,which are adapted to receive the elongated and headed bolts or plugs K,which fit snugly within said seats and flush with the periphery of therings or loops and have the elongated stems 1c thereof projecting withinand closing the openings 1, thus effectually preventing the uppersinker-section E from becoming disengaged from the bail. The said boltsK,or,1 n ore properly speaking, plugs, are held withln their respectiveseats by means of the thumbscrews L, which also provide for an easy andready disconnection of the sinker from the bail. Although the connectiondescribed is the preferable construction employed by me, yet it may beunderstood that the rings may be closed by other suitable means withoutmaterially departing from the spirit of my invention. The upperrod-section E below the heovy forked upper end is provided with areduced shank portion E, which is much lighter, together with theadjusting tube-section F, than the said upper heavy forked end, so as toallow for the sinking of the bucket in the manner as hereinafterpremised. The said tube-section F, receiving the lower reduced shankportion E of the upper rodsection, is provided with a series ofset-screws M, which are adapted to engage the said shank portion, andthus adjust the entire sinker attachment vertically within thewell-bucket, according to the depth of the same, and to hold the bailthereof in an always approximate straight position above the top of thebucket. The said tube F terminates at its lower end in or is providedwith the bottom right-angularly disposed cross-foot N, which is designedto be securely fastened, if desired, to the bottom of the well-bucket.It is not necessary, absolutely, that the said foot be fastened to thebottom of the bucket,inasmuch as the rod or sinker proper extends fromthe bail held above the top of the bucket to the bottom of the same. Thesaid rod can have but a slight lateral play, so that, While the upperweighted .end of the sinker sinks the top of the bucket beneath thewater, the bail still is prevented from dropping over upon the side ofthe bucket. The twisting and jerking necessary to throw the bail backinto position, so that the bucket can be raised, is thus obviated. Itwill thus be seen that the combined weight of the bail and the weightedforked end of the s1nker-r0d,which always holdsthe bail directly overthe top of the bucket, is sufficient to readily sink the bucket beneaththe water and tilt the same therein, While at the same time holding saidbail in a position so that the hoist- 1ng rope or chain may evenly drawthe bucket from the Water, as before set forth.

Slight modifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art for con.- necting the rings with the bail of the bucket and forthe adjustment of the sinker-section without materially altering thenature of the inventlon.

The operation and advantages of the ad.- justable well-sinker are nowthought to be apparent without further description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

1. In a well-bucket sinker, the combination,

vertically-adjustable sinker rod detachably connected with said bail andextending to the bottom of the bucket, substantially as set forth.

3. In a well-bucket sinker, the combination, with a well-bucket and thebail thereof, of a vertically-adjustable sinker having aweighted forkedupper end detachably connected to said bail and a lighter reduced shankportion projecting to and resting upon the bottom of the bucket,substantially as set forth.

4. In a well-bucket sinker, the combination, with a well-bucket and thebail thereof, of an adjustable sinker-rod section having upper divergingweighted arms terminating in bail rings or loops engaging said bail andhaving closed bail-receiving openings and a lower tube-sectionadjustably receiving said rodsection and resting upon the bottom of thebucket, substantially as set forth.

5. In a well-bucket sinker, the combination, with a well-bucket and thebailthereof, of a sinker comprising an upper vertically-adjustablerod-section having diverging weighted arms terminating in bail rings orloops engaging said bail and having bail-receiving openings, shoulderedseats at the outer ends of said openings, and headed plugs detachablysecured in said seats and inclosing said openings, and a lower lighttube-section adjustably receiving the lighter shank of said rod-sectionand provided with a right-angularly-disposed cross-foot resting upon thebottom of the bucket, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM HO VVZE.

Witnesses:

W. L. PERKINS, J. E. PAUoK.

